1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for issuing receipts and providing advertising. The present invention may be utilized, for example, by a POS (point-of-sale) system or store register for issuing receipts, a receipt number issuing machine installed in a bank, a securities company, or a hospital, or a ticket issuing machine for issuing tickets (these machines and systems are hereinafter generically called an xe2x80x9capparatus for issuing receipts and the likexe2x80x9d).
2. Description of the Related Art
As a POS terminal installed in a convenience store, there has already been known a terminal which prints, in the margin of a receipt to be issued, information other than originally-required sales information, such as advertisements for products or a variety of event information items (these advertisements will hereinafter be generically called xe2x80x9cad informationxe2x80x9d) Such a system is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 16928/1996. Moreover, a system which displays ad information on a display of a Pos terminal as telop data is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 69360/1998.
An apparatus for printing receipts and the like (hereinafter simply called an xe2x80x9capparatusxe2x80x9d) usually uses a rolled paper into which tape-like recording paper is coiled. Sales accounts for a purchase are printed on recording paper unreeled from the rolled paper. The resultant printout is separated by means of an automatic cutter, whereby a receipt slip is issued. When the rolled paper has become depleted, a new rolled paper is loaded into a roll paper loading section of the apparatus, and the thus-loaded roll is then used. As an apparatus for printing receipts and the like equipped with an ink-jet head, there has already been known an apparatus which uses an ink cartridge as an ink supply source. Even in this case, when ink of the ink cartridge has become depleted, a new ink cartridge is loaded into an ink cartridge loading section of the apparatus, and the thus-loaded ink cartridge is then used.
In the conventional art however, a store, for example, which uses an apparatus for printing receipts and the like usually bears the expense for the consumable items, such as rolls of recording paper and ink cartridges. Accordingly, a reduction in expenses for consumable items would be very beneficial to the store.
The present invention has been conceived in light of the aforementioned problems and aims at providing a system, apparatus, and method of issuing receipts and advertising which enable a reduction in expenses for consumable items borne by a user of the apparatus, by means of causing a commercial sponsor to utilize an ad printing function of the apparatus and of appropriating charges for advertisements to a portion of the expenses.
In order to solve the problems of the related art, the present invention provides a system for issuing receipts and advertising including an apparatus for printing receipts and the like, the apparatus including:
a consumable item, including an ad information retaining section for retaining ad information;
a consumable item loading section for loading the consumable item to the printing apparatus;
an ad information reading section for reading the ad information retained in the ad information retaining section; and
an ad information output section for outputting the read ad information.
Here, an ink cartridge or a rolled paper can usually be treated as the consumable item.
When a consumable item is loaded onto the system issuing receipts and the like having the above configuration, an advertisement retained in the consumable item can be printed on a receipt to be issued or displayed on a screen. Since a consumable item is combined with ad information in the manner as mentioned above, a portion of the purchase price of the consumable item can be transferred to a commercial sponsor as charges for advertisement.
According to the present invention, the ad information retaining section may retain information about the period of advertisement as well as ad information.
Here, information about the period of advertisement can be realized as the amount of consumable item consumed. In this case, the apparatus for printing receipts and the like can be equipped with an amount-of-consumption measurement section for measuring the consumption amount of a consumable item loaded onto the consumable item loading section. The advertisement output device can stop outputting an advertisement when the consumption amount of a consumable item has reached the predetermined consumption amount read by the ad information reading section.
Alternatively, information about the period of advertisement can be realized as a period of time during which a consumable item has been used. In this case, the apparatus for printing receipts and the like can have a time-of-use measurement section for measuring a period of time during which a consumable item loaded onto the consumable item loading section has been used. The advertisement output section can stop outputting an advertisement when the period of time during which a consumable item has been consumed has reached a period of predetermined consumption time read by the ad information reading section.
The ad information retaining section may be embodied as a memory chip, and the ad reading section may be embodied as a memory reader for reading the ad information from the memory chip. In this case, use of a memory chip enables retention of a large amount of advertisement or image information, thereby enabling highly effective advertisement.
Further, the ad information reading section may have a read terminal for connecting a terminal of the memory chip when the consumable item is loaded onto the consumable item loading section. As a result, effectiveness of reading information from a memory chip can be improved.
Also, the memory chip may have an ad history information storage area for storing ad history information about an amount of advertisement output by the ad information output section. The apparatus may additionally have a write section for writing into the consumption history information storage area the ad history information. By means of such a configuration, a commercial sponsor can reclaim used consumable items and ascertain how advertisement has been performed on the basis of the advertisement history information stored in the memory chip.
When the used consumable item is disposed, leaving the information stored in the memory chip intact is improper. The apparatus for printing receipts and the like may include an end sensor for detecting depletion of a consumable item loaded onto the consumable item loading section, and an ad information erasure section which erases information stored in the memory chip when the end sensor has detected depletion of a consumable item.
According to the present invention, the ad information retaining section may also be embodied as a linear bar code symbol or a two-dimensional symbol rather than as a memory chip.
In this case, the ad information reading section is constructed so as to have a symbol reader for reading the symbol. The symbol may be read before a consumable item is loaded onto the system.
According to the present invention, in one embodiment, the ad information output section may be a print section for printing ad information on receipts and the like issued from the apparatus.
In operation, when the consumable item corresponds to a rolled paper, desirably the print section prints the ad information in a leading area of the next receipt in recording paper unreeled from the rolled paper, without breaking continuity from a print operation for issuing a receipt slip.
By means of this configuration, after issuance of a receipt slip, ad information is printed on the next receipt to be issued consecutively. In this case, the next receipt awaits printing of account information on the receipt. Hence, there is obviated the time required for printing ad information at the time of issuance of a receipt. As a result, there can be prevented occurrence of an increase in the time for issuing a receipt by the amount required for printing advertisement information.
According to the present invention, the ad information output section may also be embodied as a display device for displaying the ad information on a screen as image information. Alternatively, the ad information output section may be embodied as a sound output section for outputting the ad information as sound. Of course, the ad information output section may have a combination or all of the output devices including a print section, a display device, and a sound output section.
The ad information reading section may have an ad information storage section for storing read ad information, and the ad output section may be used to output ad information stored in the ad information storage section.
In this case, the apparatus for printing receipts and advertising may be equipped with an end sensor for detecting depletion of a consumable item loaded onto the consumable item loading section. Information may then be erased from the ad information storage section when the end sensor has detected depletion of a consumable item.
The present invention also provides a receipt issuing apparatus for use in the system for issuing receipts and the like set forth. The apparatus is characterized by ad information output means retained on a consumable item loaded to the apparatus.
In addition, the present invention also provides a method of issuing receipts and advertising comprising the steps of:
storing information, such as advertising information, in a consumable and placing the consumable in a consumable item loading section of an information apparatus;
reading the information from the consumable; and
outputting the read information from an information output section.
Moreover, the present invention provides a method of issuing receipts and advertising, comprising the steps of:
retaining information, such as advertising information, in an ink cartridge;
reading the information from the ink cartridge using an apparatus which issues receipts and the like and uses the ink cartridge as an ink supply source to record the information; and
recording the read ad information on a receipt and the like issued from the apparatus.
An advertisement may also be displayed on a screen, by means of displaying the read ad information on a display screen of the apparatus.
The present invention also provides a method of issuing receipts and the like, comprising the steps of:
retaining information, such as advertising information, on a rolled paper;
reading the information from the rolled paper using an apparatus which issues receipts and the like and uses the rolled paper as a recording medium supply source to record the information; and
printing the read information on recording paper unreeled from the rolled paper, thereby recording the information on a receipt to be issued.
Even in this case, the read ad information may be displayed on a screen, by means of displaying the read ad information on a display screen of the apparatus.
The present invention also provides a consumable item having ad information retained therein to be used for the system for issuing receipts and advertising set forth. The consumable item is characterized by an information retaining section which may retain ad information.
In the case of a rolled paper to be used in a printer, the rolled paper may be provided with an ad information retaining section which retains corded ad information. In this case, it is desirable that the coded ad information is readable by a reader for decoding the coded ad information, and the ad information retaining section as a two-dimensional symbol capable of retaining a large amount of information is desirable.
In an ink cartridge storing ink to be used for an ink-jet printer, the cartridge may be provided with an ad information retaining section which retains coded ad information. Even in this case, it is desirable that the coded ad information is readable by a reader for decoding the coded ad information, and the ad information retaining section as a two-dimensional symbol or a memory chip, which is capable of retaining a large amount of information, is often desirable.